Pastoral Care Leaders (PCLs) at St Andrew’s are students, second year or older, who undertake additional training to provide emotional support to their fellow students through their time in College.
Pastoral Leaders are not expected to solve all the emotional issues that arise at College; often, the most valuable contribution a PCL can make is directing an individual to a more appropriate source of help, and importantly, PCLs do not have a disciplinary role.
As transitioning into university life is challenging for some, the support offered can be invaluable. ‘Pastorally caring’ for students might involve:
- Having conversations about study and / or other issues
- Supporting students who are struggling with mental illness (directing them to the right place)
- Keeping an ‘ear to the ground’ and discussing relevant issues (e.g. ongoing unacceptable student conduct) with the House Committee and Student Mentors
- Loss of a relative or friend
- Identifying mental illnesses (e.g. eating disorders)
- Breakups – listening
- Substance misuse – on the spot and next day follow-ups
- Students struggling with College life – friendship
- Social dysfunction on corridors
- Disappointment – listening
- Life balance – study, sport, family, social, interests
Dr Hester Wilson, Vice-Principal said: “This year we have a wonderful group of PCLs. I continue to be impressed by the emotional maturity, care and understanding they bring to their roles. They are highly accessible, and fellow students engage with them as mates and peers. This epitomises the strength of a peer based support model.”
PCLs, along with other student leaders, undergo training on:
– Mental Health
– First Aid and CPR
– Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics: Diversity and Ally
– College policies and procedures
– Ad-hoc, e.g. 2021 included sessions on leadership
St Andrew’s appoints 15 PCLs each year, with two providing the liaison for non-residential members of College. Competition is fierce, with more than five applications for each position.
The process of appointment is time-consuming and robust. Aspiring applicants apply via an application form which includes fact-based and scenario questions. A panel of staff and students revise the applications and then conduct interviews. A matrix is used to ensure a representative selection by gender, institution of study, degree studied, year group, interests and College involvement.
Meet Sai, Pastoral Care Leader
Sai Subhanu Abbaraju (Fr 2019) is studying a Bachelor of Economics (Hons).
How long have you been in College?
This is my third year at College, and I anticipate staying for a fourth year while I finish my degree. I was a non-residential member in my fresher year, but then moved into Drew’s in my second year.
What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in at College?
I volunteer each semester at the Newtown Mission serving food and having conversations with vulnerable members of the Newtown community. In 2020, I led this initiative as a member of the Community Service Subcommittee.
I am the Social Secretary in the 2021 House Committee, responsible for organising every event on the college’s very packed social calendar including Highlander Bar events, the St Andrew’s Formal, Oktoberfest and a litany of other events.
Every year, I work backstage in the students’ club’s annual DramSoc production and I enjoy the SCR nights: listening to lectures, engaging in conversation, participating in wine tastings, board game nights etc.
What’s the best thing about College?
The best thing about Drew’s is the people. The College brings together more than 400 bright young people with diverse backgrounds, interests and ambitions. Being able to socialise with, and learn from, all of these people has led to a great deal of personal development and a continued drive to better myself.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in India and spent the first few years of my life in Dubai. We moved to Armidale in rural NSW in 2011, and I completed all of my secondary schooling there at Armidale High School.
How long have you been a PCL?
I’ve been a Pastoral Care Leader for two years, though most only serve in the role for one. Every year, two or three PCLs are carried over from the year before to serve as senior members of the team and to ensure the continuity of the program from the year before.
Why were you interested in becoming a PCL?
When I moved to Sydney from Armidale, I was unsure what to expect from a college that the media portrayed as having a ‘toxic culture’. From the outset of my college experience, however, Drew’s was anything but. The degree to which college culture is genuinely accepting and wholesome is incredible, and it is in no small part due to the tremendous efforts of student leadership and especially the Pastoral Care Leaders. The cultural standard that Pastoral Care Leaders set in O-Week and continue to do so every day forms the basis of why Drew’s is such an accepting place. I was interested in being a PCL because I wanted to ensure that future residents of college have an equally incredible college experience as I did.
What’s been the best thing about being a PCL?
Being such a visible member of the college community has allowed me to get to know so many more incredible people than I would’ve otherwise had the opportunity to. When I was a fresher who had just moved to Sydney from the country, the pastoral care team was hugely helpful in my transition and making me feel comfortable in the new environment. Being able to pay that forward and help the newer residents at college feel comfortable at college has been a hugely rewarding experience.
Have you noticed a change in the students during COVID and lock-down?
The greatest strength of college is the sense of community that it creates. The worst aspects of lockdown are mitigated by this sense of community. People residing at college are never alone – they live in a household of 350 people. Because of this, I’ve not personally seen a huge change in students’ mental wellbeing during lockdown (or a difference in how much they’ve been reaching out). Together, our community is more resilient than that.
What’s the most challenging thing you’ve faced as a PCL?
As a PCL, I’m able to meet so many wonderful and talented people thriving at college, but being a mental health first responder, I sometimes also see people at their lowest points. Young people unfortunately experience some of the highest rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. College residents are no exception. Having someone that I personally know approach me with their struggles and darkest thoughts can be extremely confronting. The greatest challenge is not in helping those around you with their struggles, but in also taking a step back and taking care of myself.
Meet Mia, Pastoral Care Leader
Mia Thomas (Fr 2019) has lived at St Andrew’s College for three years, and is studying a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Anthropology). This is her first year as a PCL.
What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in at College?
I have been part of the Rosebowl Rowing, Palladian Dance, Mother’s Day Organising Committee and taken on the roles of Mentor, Tutor, and this year, Pastoral Care Leader.
What’s the best thing about College?
Without a doubt the best thing at College has been the opportunity to meet a wide array of incredible talented people. Whether it be watching the netty girls dominate on the court or the debating team take home the W, it is a place that continually encourages you to celebrate your individuality and drives you to work towards your own success.
Where did you grow up?
I spent my childhood and teenage years in London, England, before moving to Australia for university in 2019. Although I have a big extended family here in Sydney, it was definitely an adjustment moving to the other hemisphere, yet alone moving away from home. Luckily my mother joined me here this year too so I am well supported within and beyond the college network!
Why were you interested in becoming a PCL?
In the disrupted and confusing year of 2020, I saw that the Pastoral Care system was integral in sustaining a dynamic and supportive community throughout the pandemic, acting as the net that caught any students who fell through the cracks of fractured normality. I wanted to be a part of the team for 2021 and have the opportunity to contribute in my own way to the engagement with mental wellbeing and an inclusive network of support.
How did you find the training for a PCL?
The leadership training for the PCL role has been ongoing, rewarding, and insightful. As physical and mental health first aid providers, we have been equipped with not only the tangible skills to respond to emergencies, but also the skills to approach student concerns with approachability, empathy, and non-judgmental listening in order to best support our peers. Our training has covered a wide range of topics relevant for college life, including consent, mental illness, and LGBTQI+ allyship just to name a few.
What’s been the best thing about being a PCL?
Having the opportunity to connect with students who have had a shared experience with yourself. For example, having relocated from England to Australia, and participating in W-Week as a fresher who came with a lot of nerves and no connections, I truly appreciated the ability of the Pastoral Care team to alleviate the anxieties of transitioning into the new. Now on the other end of this transition, it has been a privilege to have the opportunity to help create a safe, comfortable home for the younger students who follow in our footsteps.